Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-07-16
A DEAF MUTE'S EVOLUTION.
aOH a SOBH Ear 0sf OE RiSA OGLY
ORa ~ fMS 1ivA . aRRns.
The Accomplishments Of Lsuss fsr,dgmas
Who In Infancy Loot Her sight ana
Hearing and the senses OF Taste ana
smsii - A Remarhab.s Womas.


Hearing and the senses Of Taste sna
smell - A Rsmaraab,s Womas.
Boeton Corr N. Y. sun.
1t 10 just half q century since the popular l
heart Of the country first went out in pity |
toward one who has ever since been regarded
~ the most afflicted OF human kind. Al.
most every middle aged man and woman In
New England remembers the story Of Laura |
Bridsman, the bl!ad deaf mute, whose fae
has made . more standard example Of ~
tience and submission in Yankee homes and
schools than the more ancient record OF Job
and his sorca Perhaps no better dsnoustra.
tiou could be found Of the fact that happi.
ness 10 matter merely OF relative aud mot
OF absolute conditions than In the history Of
peace and content that has followed and still
follows the life Of I.sura Bridgman. Ger
tainly her sisters in this community would
rank - happiest among women did they
pcasess In the same degree her calm sereni.
ty and unselfsh devotion. Possessing but
one unimpaired faculty, that OF touch, Miss
Bridgman hes become . cultivated woman,
fairly we'll acquainted with the world and it,
life, - far - 1t is in the power Of language
without physical demonstration TO convey
ideas 1t is . constant marvel to those around
her that she understands AID appreciates %
much, and that she is able to make such
wonderful use OF the single sense that II left
her. Miss Bridgmsn is now . woman OF 81
yearA and she still makes her homo for the
greater part Of each year at the Perkins In.
stitution for the blind, where she first re.
ceivei, fifty years ago instruction in the use
Of language from the late DR.. Howe In
form and feature she IL not unlike many
women Of her age except that . rare deli
~ nV.t, n a
cal, impresses every one who meets her. Al.
though not robust, she Is seldom Ill, and her
health is probably as good - that OF most
ladies OF her sge She dresses plainly, and
her appearance in this respect is best de-
scribed - old.tAshioned.
| Toe question always asked first by any
| one who has not heard the story OF Laura
Bridgman's life is, How WAS the first idea Of
| words and language conveyed to her mind
Miss Bridgman's iuhrmites date from the
second year OF her childhood. A severe at
tack OF scarlet fever destroy ed the four senses
OF sight, hearing, taste, and smell. Her
| sickness, continued for fully six months, and
| 1t completely wiped out all memory OF her
| early infancy. Aside from this circumstance
| In her case, 1t - said to be fact by compe-
tent Investigators that no cass IL known OF
| person who can trace anything In mem.
| ory back OF the second year Of In nfsucy. 80
! In Lsura's case there never has been the
/ IhluteDt IecOllectiOu Oi tn0 use OF SO0 TWO
chief senses which she lost In much that
| abe says and writes, she often refers to the
beauties OF light and sound, especially to the
former, but she has no adequate conception
OF either. How can she have? How can 1t
| be possible to convey in words even . vague
| Impression of the beauties OF Landscape u Q
| mind which cannot do more than dimly
wonder what the great principle light may
be- Or how can any idea OF . grand haf-
mony 10 brought TO one whose only concep-
ton OF sound must oe gained by the tremb-
| ling OF the floor under . friends footstep, OF
| the conclusion OF air following . cannon shot
; A great deal Of patience Was required q
. teach Lsurs the rudiments OF word sigma II
was accomplished by attaching to every sr-
: ticle In common use its name in raised let
: terra Having mastered that idea. she readi
" learned the deaf and-dumb fiuger alpha.
bet signs for the same objects, and thereafter
her proGresa was remarkably rapid.
Most blind people are psasionstely fond o
reading, and the occupants OF the PerkinI
institution have large raised letter library
Miss Bergman cares very little for reading
She much prefers that some one should resd
to her BY hand signs from newspapers and
religious booka She il extremely sociable
and earnestly keeps up silent con yersstiou
whenever opportunity atiorda Her daily
, routine is quiet one. She lives In one o.
the four cottages on the grounds OF the inst
tuition In South Boston. She has the sols
care OF her room, which u model of neat
mesa She Ii very skillful with the needle In
ordinary and fancy sewing. Many . sharp
eyed seamstress would envy the speed with
which she threads her needle even Il
1t be . fns one. She does 1t by placing the
| end OF the thread and .he head Of the needle
in her mouth, and il an instant the thread
Ing IL accomplished by the end OF bel
tongue Thread lace, very delicstA she
kits rapidly, and in the course OF . yeaI
makes great deal OF it. She Is slso faith
ful correspondent unless she be over
whelmed by letters from people whose sole
object 10 curiosity or To OBTAIN an autograph.
Her writing In stiti and angular, like thai o
most blind people, but it is remarkably dis
tnct.
simple guiding device for the pencil Ia
used BY her and by most blind writsrs Be
meath the paper on which she writes 10 placed
, | sheet OF pasteboard covered with slight do
pressioDa each about an eighth Of an inch
square CHE sizs OF tie body OF smslI let
. ter }, three eighths OF an inch apart, and
arranged In horiz1 1ntal lines to correspond
with the lines OF manuscript The body OF
| letter II made over each depression, and II
extends above OF below with such letters - Il
| ID necessary.
One OF Mis-, Bridgmans daily duties
during the school year Is TO assist In the IN
Of blind children. Tnsy oil learn the hand
alphabet, and her work among them ID {
delight both TO her and TO her pmpilA
Scientifically considered, Miss BridGman'i
case pressnts many interesting features bear
ing upon the degree OF skill which the train.
Ing OF single faculty will develop The
senses Of smell and taste have In some de-
| gree returned to her. She can detect pun
| gent odors and knows the dit 3reDce by tast6
between articles OF food which are dissimilar
but neither sense is Q source of pleasure oi
| much profit TO her. The destruction OF hear
| ing and sight Was 20 complete that the eaI
drums and eyeballs are gone, the latter 70
moved BY operation some time after her Ill
ness in order TO pain and Inflammation. The
sense OF touch which remains 70 her haa
rearhed . much higher degree Of cultivation
and perceptive power than was ever attained
In ano;hsr being. By aenss OF touch alone,
which intsrprsts the waves Of air upon hei
fsces she can tell In walking on the street
whether buildings abut clOsely upon the
sidewalk or there In an open space intsrven-
ing. More wonderful still, can perceive iu
| the same wsy-And other inmstes OF ths
Perkins institution have the same power
whether Q fence lining the walk u made ol
| pickets or ID OF solid bOarda Mr.. Anagnoa,
the director OF the institution, says thai
Laura and two or three others OF the blind
inmates arc able 70 perceive socuratsly, by
means Of reflected HEAT or air waves, whether
building they may DO psasing II OF brick or
wood. Some time ago several scientists, one
or two Harvard profsssors among them,
made an interesting test Of Miss Bridgman's
delicacy OF touch. They undertook 70
| measure the distance ct which she VA able